The Disaster Artist [2017] ★★★½

In 1994,Tim Burton took on Ed Wood, one of the worst directors of all time, and turned his story into one of the best movies of the 90’s. Fast forward 9 years and “The Room”, one of the worst films of all time, opens in one theater in LA to disastrous reviews. You don’t need to see this cult turd to appreciate what James Franco has accomplished in “The Disaster Artist”, a masterful film about the making of one of the weirdest phenomena in cinema history. Much like Burton, Franco handles the whole thing as a passion project, so much in fact that he stayed in character while directing the film. And it shows, as he fully embodies the character of Tommy Wiseau, an “ambitious” actor and filmmaker who comes to LA with his new friend Greg Sestero (played by Dave Franco here), to make a movie called “The Room”. And so begins a journey filled with hope and…well…awkward moments. From a hilarious opening sequence that shows Wiseau’s lack of talent to unforgettable moments on set (oh, Hi mark!), “The Disaster Artist” is a constant pleasure. What matters is that the movie pays tribute to an unusual person who had faith in his own ideas even when no one else did. Those qualities are rooted in truth and give the movie its foundation. It doesn’t matter that the end result was catastrophic, the movie has since gained a cult following and is screened every year around the world. Franco and co wanted to honor this “accomplishment”. Needless to say, they’ve succeeded with flying colors. “The Disaster Artist” is one of my favorite movies of the year.